An actuator is a mechanism often used to lift or move an object or to clamp an object to prevent motion. An actuator may introduce linear or non-linear motion. Examples of actuators include hydraulic cylinders and/or pneumatic cylinders. Actuators are used in many applications, including construction equipment, engineering vehicles and manufacturing machinery. For example, the hydraulic cylinder is a mechanical actuator that may provide a unidirectional force through a unidirectional stroke. The hydraulic cylinder consists of a cylinder housing in which a piston connected to a rod moves back and forth.
Actuators suffer from disadvantages or drawbacks associated with the misalignment of the rod. This misalignment may result when the longitudinal axis of the rod is not co-located with the longitudinal axis of the bore of the cylinder. This misalignment may be the result of setting poorly balanced or off-center loads on the cylinder. It is not uncommon for a load to be placed on the rod where the forces acting upon the rod are not acting in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. These types of forces or loads are sometimes referred to as side loads or side loading. Side loads may occur, for example, when the rod contacts an uneven surface. Side loading may cause damage to the rod, piston, and other components of the cylinder, and cause the cylinder assembly to ultimately fail.
Much effort has been made by manufacturers of hydraulic cylinders to reduce or eliminate the side loading of cylinders. It is almost impossible to achieve perfect alignment of a hydraulic cylinder, even though the alignment of the cylinder has a direct impact on the longevity of the hydraulic cylinder. Actuators for many applications are custom made and expensive so prolonging their life and operation can represent significant savings.
These prior art methods and systems, however, have not sufficiently reduced or eliminated bending moments that cause stress on the rod and ultimately lead to rod failure. Therefore, there is a need for actuators that can operate to reduce bending moments that can potentially cause the cylinder assembly to fail.
The presently disclosed system and method is directed at overcoming one or more of these disadvantages in currently available actuators.